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Craig Aaron

@notaaroncraig.bsky.social

1.7K followers 570 following 560 posts

Co-CEO of Free Press and Free Press Action and guy with two first names freepress.net (No, not *The* Bari Weiss one. We love journalism, democracy and public media!) Subscribe to my Pressing Issues newsletter: https://pressingissues.org/

pressingissues.org

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 11d

Your pressure made Disney, Sinclair and Nexstar back down. But don’t let up. They’re still pushing for deals that will let them get bigger and swallow up more stations. And don’t let them rewrite what happened either. We all saw the coercion and censorship with our own eyes.

Free Press @freepress.bsky.social · 11d

"Trump's war on free speech is no joke—and it's not over. Carr threatened the licenses of ABC affiliates with mafia-like threats because his boss in the White House didn't like Kimmel's views, a chilling violation that would've forced previous FCC chairs to resign." - @notaaroncraig.bsky.social

'The Fight Doesn’t End Here': Despite Kimmel's Return, Accountability Demanded for Trump's FCC Chair, Media Execs | Common Dreams

Despite Jimmy Kimmel's return to the air, advocates say the fight against the Trump administration's war on dissent "doesn’t end here." They called for investigations into FCC chair Brendan Carr and the media executives who caved to his censorship demands.

www.commondreams.org

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 4h

The central figure in Trump's push to silence Kimmel et al is now in full damage control, trying to rewrite the history of what just happened, while offloading onto Democrats blame for his unconstitutional campaign of censorship.

Free Press' @mattfieldwood.bsky.social exposes all of Carr's lies:

Another Carr Wreck

How the current FCC chairman is ignoring the truth about free speech

pressingissues.org

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emptywheel @emptywheel.bsky.social · 6h

Make sure you read the report about how Stephen Miller deported Waco's favorite Mexican restaurant owner.

www.texastribune.org/2025/10/07/t...

A picture of Sergio Garcia and George W and Laura Bush. It is signed, To Sergio Garcia with best wishes.

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John Pfaff @johnpfaff.bsky.social · 13h

Um, ICE just coldly shot an unarmed PRIEST in the head w a pepper ball when he (and everyone around him) clearly posed no threat.

For the crime of … complaining about government policy.

Core 1A speech.

With cameras rolling, they’re sniping priests for sport.

Kurt @flglchicago.bsky.social · 15h

Here’s video of the incident

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 12h

Note also the role of Kimmel-canceling Nexstar (owners of NewsNation) riding along to film ICE-in-action propaganda

Daniel Knowles @dlknowles.bsky.social · 15h

Good reporting on the South Shore raid from South Side weekly here.

Confirms one thing I was told but didn't put in my own piece because I didn't have a second source and it seemed too insane: border agents segregated arrested residents by race

southsideweekly.com/federal-agen...

Federal Agents Storm South Shore Building, Detaining Families and Children

Families were woken by flashbangs and helicopters as hundreds of federal agents raided their homes. Days later, neighbors are still searching for the missing.

southsideweekly.com

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 17h

New Pressing Issues w/ debut of @mattfieldwood.bsky.social on the hypocrisy and dishonesty of a certain FCC chairman and South Park guest star.

Subscribe!

Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 18h

Last week Trump lackey Brendan Carr, went into full damage control before a panel of disbelieving journalists.

But no amount of dodging and dishonesty could save Carr from the truth, or salvage his reputation as Trump's go-to censor at the FCC.

@mattfieldwood.bsky.social has the receipts:

Another Carr Wreck

How the current FCC chairman is ignoring the truth about free speech

pressingissues.org

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 20h

In case there’s still any confusion between what I do and whatever the hell just happened over at Bari W.’s FreeBS

h/t @timkarr.bsky.social

www.freepress.net/blog/this-fr...

What's in a Name: This Free Press Isn't 'The' Free Press

While Bari Weiss borrowed our name, our two organizations could not be more different. Here’s why.

www.freepress.net

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Ada Palmer @adapalmer.bsky.social · 1d

I see pieces like this a lot, often w/ a spin of lamenting cultural degeneration, but reading is a LABOR issue, it’s declined because so many people are working overtime or two jobs & employers expect after hours work. France has Earth’s highest reading rate b/c long lunch breaks & labor protections

After Dinner Conversation® @afterdinnerconversation.com · 1d

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Plenary Popehat Power @kenwhite.bsky.social · 1d

It’s important to flood social media and news channels with news about how ICE lies, so that potential jurors see it.

Chicago Sun-Times @chicago.suntimes.com · 1d

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government’s claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed.
trib.al/9Sxu9IN

Attorney for woman shot by Border Patrol claims officer said 'Do something b-----' before shooting

Body-camera video appears to contradict the government's claim that Marimar Martinez, 30, drove toward officers before one of them opened fire at her late Saturday morning in Brighton Park, her attorney claimed. A judge ordered Martinez and a co-defendant released pending trial.

trib.al

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 2d

The real @freepress.bsky.social will never be bought by an Ellison, a Murdoch or a Musk.

act.freepress.net/donate/suppo...

Help Free Press keep up the fight with a donation

Your contribution today powers critical work on digital privacy, disinformation, Net Neutrality and so much more.

act.freepress.net

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Justin Hendrix @justinhendrix.bsky.social · 4d

New on @techpolicypress.bsky.social from @freepress.bsky.social advocacy director @ruddock.bsky.social:

Amidst a violent crackdown, the Trump administration has set its sights on anyone monitoring its expanding immigration enforcement operations—and it’s turning to major tech companies to help:

Amidst Violent Immigration Raids, DHS Turns to Big Tech to Silence Dissent | TechPolicy.Press

Free Press advocacy director Jenna Ruddock says the Trump administration is targeting anyone monitoring its expanding immigration enforcement operations.

www.techpolicy.press

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Nora Benavidez @attorneynora.bsky.social · 5d

Mario was simply doing his job as a reporter when police targeted him. He was detained 108+ days, muzzled by the admin. Today, the US govt is deporting him to El Salvador, which he fled for safety reasons. This chilling practice seeks to silence dissent & truth. www.democracynow.org/2025/10/3/ma...

Prominent Atlanta Journalist Faces Deportation After Covering Anti-Trump Protest

The Spanish-language journalist Mario Guevara may be deported to El Salvador as soon as today despite holding work authorization in the United States and never having been charged with a crime. Guevar...

www.democracynow.org

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jenna ruddock @ruddock.bsky.social · 4d

the Trump admin just deported an award-winning journalist known for his reporting on ICE and got Apple to block ICE-spotter apps — all while churning out highly-produced social media content from violent ICE raids in Chicago. it’s their media or no media. www.techpolicy.press/amidst-viole...

Amidst Violent Immigration Raids, DHS Turns to Big Tech to Silence Dissent | TechPolicy.Press

Free Press advocacy director Jenna Ruddock says the Trump administration is targeting anyone monitoring its expanding immigration enforcement operations.

www.techpolicy.press

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Jameel Jaffer @jameeljaffer.bsky.social · 4d

"When faced with actual, explicit, documented government censorship—the kind they’ve been breathlessly warning about for years—they have nothing to say. Because this censorship serves their agenda, targets their enemies, and advances their political goals." www.techdirt.com/2025/10/03/d...

DOJ Demands Removal Of ICEBlock App; Why Are The ‘Free Speech Warriors’ Suddenly So Quiet?

For years now, the MAGA crowd has been absolutely convinced that the Biden administration engaged in the most egregious censorship campaign in American history. They’ve waved around the Murth…

www.techdirt.com

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 4d

"... while other words describe a specific combination, such as the Stoic concept of amathia, or the intentional combination of both qualities in a single entity, such as demon."

Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 4d

Thanks, Google AI: "There isn't a single, common English word that perfectly captures both 'evil' and 'stupid'; however, words like cretinous, idiotic, imbecilic, and fatuous strongly imply that actions are both unintelligent and harmful or morally reprehensible. ...

Defector @defector.com · 4d

Treasury Department has plans to mint dollar coin featuring Donald Trump's likeness: defector.com/treasury-dep...

Treasury Department Has Plans To Mint Dollar Coin Featuring Donald Trump's Likeness | Defector

The United States Department of the Treasury has developed, to the brink of production, a dollar coin that features the face and likeness of President Donald Trump, according to a source within the Tr...

defector.com

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AAUP @aaup.org · 4d

AAUP President Todd Wolfson unpacks the dangerous consequences of the Trump administration’s compact, which aims to exert ideological control over universities and colleges. As Wolfson makes clear, this partisan incursion into higher education affects ALL sectors.

@proftwolf.bsky.social

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 4d

"This is not an industry problem. This is a society problem. How do we make vibrant and well-supported this essential service that is the lifeblood of democracy?"

@julito77.bsky.social talks with the director of the new to PBS doc "Stripped for Parts" about hedge funds and the future of news.

A Hedge Fund’s Grip on Local News

New PBS documentary explains how Alden Global Capital gutted newspapers — and what we can still save.

pressingissues.org

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Nora Benavidez @attorneynora.bsky.social · 5d

“This case is chilling for us all,” said Free Press’ senior counsel Benavidez. “And that’s the point — the administration will stop at nothing, not even the First Amendment, to bully people into silence.”

cpj.org/2025/10/jour...

Journalist Mario Guevara to be deported from US in unprecedented case - Committee to Protect Journalists

Washington, D.C., October 2, 2025—In response to news that journalist Mario Guevara will be deported on Friday from the United States back to his native El Salvador, the Committee to Protect Journalis...

cpj.org

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Tim Karr @timkarr.bsky.social · 7d

"What's clear from this fiasco is that the Trump administration doesn’t know what a joke is," writes @notaaroncraig.bsky.social. "The only laughable thing has been Carr’s attempts to cover up his unconstitutional actions. We know what he said & saw the coercion & censorship with our own eyes."

Face to Face with the Censorship Czar

I went to the FCC, and all I brought was this fabulous T-shirt.

pressingissues.org

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Adam Serwer @adamserwer.bsky.social · 7d

Right wingers in 2017: Dumb libs think words are violence
Right wingers in 2025: Words are violence and we're going to throw you in jail for saying the wrong ones, which is terrorism bsky.app/profile/atru...

Aaron Rupar @atrupar.com · 7d

Stephen Miller: "They say they are trying to kill the fascists & stop the fascists. It's deliberate. President Trump is saying that we as a nation are not going to tolerate it anymore & the joint terrorism task force at the FBI is going to find these terrorists & we're going to put them behind bars"

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 7d

Chants! T-shirts! Corruption! Censorship! Awkwardness!

It had it all.

Julio Ricardo Varela @julito77.bsky.social · 7d

The latest edition of Pressing Issues, the @freepress.bsky.social newsletter, is by @notaaroncraig.bsky.social, who writes about what he witnessed during today's #FCC meeting.

Face to Face with the Censorship Czar

Face to Face with the Censorship Czar

I went to the FCC, and all I brought was this fabulous T-shirt.

pressingissues.org

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 7d

It has been a day. But i believe we will win. Plus fun T-Shirts!

New Pressing Issues!

pressingissues.org/face-to-face...

Face to Face with the Censorship Czar

I went to the FCC, and all I brought was this fabulous T-shirt.

pressingissues.org

Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 7d

Commissioner Gomez jokes about “the era of quill and candlelight” being gone but the Trump FCC majority apparently wants to return our kids to darkness, cutting of poorer families from services their wealthier peers take for granted.

And for what? So they can say they deleted some regulations?

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Craig Aaron @notaaroncraig.bsky.social · 7d

The main thing missing from Brendan Carr’s statement about cutting off funds for kids to have Wi-Fi on school buses and in their homes is concern for or mention of any actual children. Heartless.

Reposted by Craig Aaron

jamelle @jamellebouie.net · 8d

would love to hear more congressional democrats say "should we win power next year we are going to treat every one of these as bribes and act accordingly" arstechnica.com/tech-policy/...

Trump obtains another settlement as YouTube agrees to pay $24.5 million

Alphabet settles with Trump instead of fighting lawsuit over January 6 suspension.

arstechnica.com

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